21 Param Vir Chakra Winners Every Indian Should Know And Be Proud Of

Our nation has 21 Param Vir Chakra (PVC) winners. These are the men of steel who have given their everything to keep our country safe. With acts of supreme and selfless bravery, they have won the country's highest wartime gallantry award. But how well do you know them? Here's a look at what they have done to win what's arguably the highest honour of the country.

1. Maj. Somnath Sharma4 Kumaon|Badgam, Kashmir|November 3, 1947

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Major Sharma, with a broken arm, staved off enemy attacking on Badgam aerodrome and Srinagar. He was personally filling magazines and issuing them to the light machine gunners. His death inspired the fellow soldiers to fight the enemy 7:1 for six hours.

3. 2nd Lt Rama Raghoba Rane

Bombay Engineers|Naushera-Rajouri Road|April 8-11, 1948

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Rane braved machine gun fire, cleared mines and roadblocks as he laid a path for tanks. His diligence over days, despite being wounded, facilitated the advance on Rajouri. He drove to a roadblock in a tank, crouched under it, and cleared the mines.

Major Singh single-handedly occupied an enemy post and moved to attack another when a grenade hit him. He still lobbed grenades and managed to destroy another bunker before succumbing to death.

5. Lance Naik Karam Singh1 Sikh|Tithwal sector, J&K|October 13, 1948

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Lance Naik Singh commanded a post when the enemy launched eight strikes. The Sikhs repulsed each wave but Karam Singh was wounded. When 2 enemy soldiers came too close, he bayoneted the intruders to death.

Part of the UN Force, Capt. Salaria and his Gorkhas charged a roadblock, killing 40 and knocking out two enemy cars. The rest fled. Salaria died of heavy bullet wounds.

7. Major Dhan Singh Thapa1/8 Gorkha Rifles|Ladakh|October 21, 1962

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Major Thapa's post in Ladakh came under Chinese attack. He killed many in hand-to-hand combat before he was overpowered. He was presumed dead but it came to light that he'd been taken PoW. Major Thapa was later freed.

8. Subedar Joginder Singh1 Sikh|Tawang, Arunachal|October 20-23, 1962

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Holding a position in Tongpeng La area, Subedar Singh faced repeated attacks by the Chinese. Despite a wound in the thigh, he refused evacuation. He manned a light machine gun and killed a large number of enemies. Finally better weapons of the enemy prevailed and Singh was martyred.

Ordered to capture a position during the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Ekka charged an enemy bunker, bayoneted enemy soldiers, silenced a LMG, hurled a grenade into an enemy bunker before finally succumbing to injuries.

Facing a wave of counter attacks, Major Singh, while he was injured, rushed to a machine-gun pit and manned the gun himself till the enemy retreated. Singh refused to be evacuated till the ceasefire.

16. Naib Subedar Bana SinghJ&K Light Infantry|Siachen|1987

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Leading his men through a hazardous route to rid the area of Pakistani infiltrators in '87, Naib Subedar Singh lobbed grenades, charged with a bayonet, and, moving from trench to trench, cleared the post of all intruders.

Parameswaram's column was ambushed. He encircled the enemy and charged. Despite getting shot in the chest, he snatched the rifle from a militant and shot him in the head. He gave orders till his last breath.

18. Captain Vikram Batra13 J&K Rifles|July 7, 1999

During the Kargil war, Captain Batra engaged three enemy soldiers in close combat and killed them as his Delta Company recaptured Point 5140 before overrunning enemy posts at Point 4750 and Point 4875. He was killed by enemy fire as he tried to rescue a fellow officer.

19. Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey1/11 Gorkha Rifles|July 2-3, 1999

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Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey forced back intruders from Batalik and led his men to recapture Jaubar Top. In a bid to recapture Khalubar, the battalion was halted by enemy fire but Pandey surged ahead through a hail of bullets, collapsing only after the last of the enemies had been killed.

20. Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav18 Grenadiers|July 3-4, 1999

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Tasked to capture 3 Tiger Hill bunkers, Grenadier Yadav, after being hit by three bullets, climbed the remaining 60 feet to an enemy bunker at the top and lobbed a grenade, killing 4 and neutralising enemy fire.

21. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar13 J&k Rifles|July 4, 1999

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Tasked with capturing a point in Ladakh's Mushkoh Valley, Rifleman Kumar crawled alone up the ledge, picked up an enemy machine gun and killed three enemy soldiers.

Here are all the PVC awardees in one massive infographic-

Never forget it's because of people like them, that we are able to sleep soundly at night. Respect.